Rotary engine



June 3, 1930. y w H BENDRY 1,761,977

ROTARY ENGINE Filed Oct. 6, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l #wm/6655 Qimmy@ WML/,4M M55/wm' www@ Y abbot nu;

W. H. BENDRY ROTARY ENGINE June 3, 1930.

2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Oct. 6. 1924 Patented June 3,'1930 'p WILLIAM'H. BNDRY, oF HANooK, MICHIGAN ROTARY ENGINE Application filed october e, 1924. serial No. 742,055.

. "This invent-ion "relates to engines of the' rotaryl type and :thepriniary 'objebtof the inventionlis" to provide alsteam engine of eX- lception'ally simple y*and durable construction, Awhichinfill"permiti the lgreatest amount of energy'to be obtaindfrom y'the steainf l Another object of thelinvention is to provide' an improved steam engine Vvvhich can be're'adilyxarid quickly 'reversed Without undue loss offsteanr i further object of. theinvention is topprovi'de novell liiieans" for operating the' control Valve fromi theieng'ine rotor for permitting he passage of the vanes 'past s'aid valve Wi'thl kout injury thereto. l y y l A rther object of thev invention isthe provision; of vnovel means. for controlling the eiihaustl' valves fof thejengrine according l.to fthe direction of rotation'bf 'the' fotor of 'the enme. A g .ieen'refaire, abject er are investi-0n is to provide iiiprov'edV engineotthe" above "character which vvi'll be elicient 1n use, one that -Will "be simplefand easy to' rInanufacture 'ndon'e Lvv*hi'(3h"c1`1` beplaeed upon the'market at a reasonable cost, Y y llith these other objects in "View, the invention-'Consists "in the novel construction, arrangement' and formation of parts, as will Y130 behereinater'niore specifically Idescribed,

claimed, ing `'dranfings, Virrivliich' drayvings, y Figue 1 is al front elevation of the improvedengine', .A p l y v n 4* Figure 2 is atopfp'lanvie'iv of the same,

l Figui-e3 "isl a longitudinal section through the" engine showing alieni-rangement of the rotor Within 'the oasingor stator,

"Figure 11 isv a vertical 'y longitudinal section iid illustrated in fthe accompany-y njfovedtherefrom.l Y D y l Referring@ 'the (leasing-s in aetajiij, Wherein similar reference' cfharaotersl designate oorresponding" parts" throughout fthe several f4@ three-genie egiiie'ehewing the rote-1'- 're- "545 views. thelette'r indicates the irnprdved enginf-iK4 lvhicli comprises a stator B and rotor C. y `The stator Bfifneludes anfaiinu'lar 'outer Wall 10 having the right' angularly disposed flanges '11 forinedon its' peripheral edges to which are adapted to be bolted the disk shaped end 'plates 12 and 13 of the said stator. These disk shaped end plates"12 and 13 are provided at the axial centers thereof with suitable bearingsvfor rotatably supporting thefdriveshaft 14 to which isleyed'or other- Wise secured the rotor C, ivhich will be hereinafterinore fully described. Theouter annular'wall 10 of the stator has` formed transve'rselyl thereof a substantially :semi-cylindrica'l housing 15y which in turn has formed longitudinally thereof a semioylindrical steam chest 16 intoV which the liveste'amis adapted tovloiv from a 'steam pipe 17 Which may lead from any 'suitabl'esource of sup- Plr iotaryvalve 19 4voi cylindrical'lormation is mounted Within the steam chest 16 and is provided with vsemi-circular steam Way 2O for permitting thev iioiv of steam from the steam chest into the semifcylindrical housing 15. p

'Rookably' mounted Within the semi-cylin drical housing 15 isa substantially solid semicylindrical' abutment 21'Whichhas its curved face 21b normally in engagement with the outer face of ther'falve 19, and arranged to forni one Wall of the steam passage 21c of the housing 15.

lt can be seen that the abutment 2l is adapted to be rocked for bringing one edge or thek'other into intimate engagement with thefp'eriphery of the rotor C as Will be hereinafter-'more fully described.y As shown in Figure 3 of the drawing the 'valve 19 andthe abutment 21is arranged to perniitthe steam to'flow into the stator or casing at the-right hand side thereof which will bring vaboiitthe clockwise rotation ofther'ot'or.

IThe" outer Wall 10 of the-stator on each side of thejsemicyclindrical abutment housing 15 is provided :with manually 'controlled 'reliet valves 22 and 23 for permitting the escape of pressure from the engine yWhen vso rdesired ory neeessary. The opposite side; ofthe lstator frointhe abutment casing 15 is providedwith transversely extending escape or exhaust chambers 24 and 25 and it, can be seen that these chambers are located on opposite side ofthe vertical dia-metric lcenter of 'the turbine. These exhaust chambers 24 and 25 are connected together by a circumferentially extending pipe26 and this pipe has connected Y o passesthepabutinent 21 that the abutment will thereto an outlet pipe 27 by means of lWhich the steam can escape to the atmosphere.

Suitable control valves 28 and 29 are mounted Within the chambers 24and 25 for controly ling the flow of exhaust steam into the same Vand these valves 28 and 29 are mounted on ly thick rim and a solid dislrshaped hub 36 which can beprovidedat spaced points with openings 37 for lessening the Weight thereof.v

The hub plate V36 is of course keyed or other- Wise secured to the shaft 14. i The rotor C can .v be provided With any-desired number of vanes v .and as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the draw- Y ingI have provided a pair of vanes 38 Which are disposed at 'diametrically opposed points on the rotor. 4 These vanes extend radially' from the rim of the rotor and-are preferably of a Wedge shape andv are slidably fitted in grooves i129 formed transversely in the rim of the rotor. By thisconstruction it can ybe seenv that the vanes can be readily slipped into position on the rotor. V.Of course however When the rotor is in place, displacement .of thegvanes is absolutely precluded in view of the fact that the saine are engaged by the end plates 12 and 13 of the stator. VTheouter face of each vane is provided With-,friction pads for engaging the inner periphery or face ofthe outerWalllO therebyeffectively preventing the escape of the motive iiuid past rthe same and the stator.

One end of the drive shaft14 has secured thereto in any desired Way an indicator Wheel 40 Vwhich is providedat Vdiametrically opposed points With ngers 41. These fingers v f 41 are in direct alignment With the rotor vanesk and are rprovidedfor indicating the position of the vanes in thesstator, When it is :desired to reverse the operation ofthe rotor. vRigidly secured to the controller valve 21, that is to say to shaft 32 thereof, is a substantially semicircular head plate 42 -Which in turn carries a` bearing rib 43 radiallyy arranged'with respect to the shaft.32.- A lever44 is rockably Y mounted on the shaft` 32 at a point intermediate its endsand the lever on opposite sides l of a bearing-plate 43 lCarries a leaf spring 45 for engaging Vthe oppositeV sides of the said Y bearing rib. The lever 44 is held in any preferred adjusted position by meansofa dog and a sector rack bar 46.k rlhe lever 44 di'rect- V 1y below the head plate 42 carries a depend;l

ing indicating arm 47 Which in vconnection With the fingers 41 on' the Wheel 40 clearly vor closed vas is desired. V

indicates the position of the abutment 21 i y and the vanes. f f

Now it isr to be .noted when' the'vane 38j rock against lthe tension of the spring 45 and 7o the spring Will'quickly ret-urn'the abutment v toA its,normalposition'in engagement with the `periphery ofthe rotor. jA v f It can be seen that moving thev lever 44V j the position ofthe abutment 21 can be changed `to permit the reversingv ofthe rotor. VIn o-rder to bring about the reversing of the rotor` C, when so desired, a manuallyoperated lever 47 is secured to the stem 31 and of course ,When the position of the abutment 21 'so Y isicliange'd,y the position` ofthe valve 19 is changed therewith. Thehand lever 47 Vcan y able means such as a patvll and ratchet. p ln order-' to bring 4about the synchronous operation of the lexhaust valves 28 and 29 thek s 1 Vshafts thereof have,y securedy thereto slotted y crank arms 60, to vvhich'are slidably and pivi otally connected links 61. These'links 61 are n in turn pivotally connected to a Vmanuallyoperated lever 62 Which is pivotally mounted be lockedin any desiredposition by any suitupon the stator.. Novv` by shifting this lever either oneof the exhaustvalves canbe opened In Vvuse of the mproveaeagiiie," eten-the controller and inlet valves are arranged' as shown Figui-e3, of theV drawingftliesteam Will enter the steam chest'l through 'the pipe 17 and flow around the channelwaysj20. in the inletY valve past the vabutment 21 tothe right l fhand side of the vertical center of an engine l and impingey against the vanes moving thel rotor in a .clockwise direction. 'As statedfas each vane passes-the abutment they same is automatically lifted'toprevent injury to the vane andthe abutment.

When itis desired toreverse rotation` of the engine it 1s merelyvfnecessary to operate the manually controlled levers 44,'l 47 and 62 which Will change the position of the valve 19 and abutment21 and permit the steamer f other motive fluid to flow into the left hand side-of the engine The lever 62 should then Y also berocke'dV to`close theexhaustrvalve `29 and openthe exhaust valve 28.

' 1 Ghangesas in detail may be made Without departingfrom the spirit or'the scope of this inventiombvut What Iclaimas'new is f1. A rotary engine comprisinga cylindrical stator, ya semi-cylindrical y,housing extending outwardly from land transversely of the annular Wall of thestator, the inner side` f, lof the housingbein'gy fully open and in fully Y.

communication Withfthe stator, al semi-cylini* drical steam chest extending outwardly from and longitudinally of the housing and having aninlet, theinner side of the steam chest being fully open yand-in yfull communication` with kthe housing, ark rotor arranged Within the stator andprovided with vanes, a .solidV 0 semi-cylindrical abutment rotatably supported Within the housing With its curved wall in spaced relation to the corresponding Wall of the housing tov provide a passage from the steam chest tothe stator, the abutment contacting at one end with the rotor, a cylindrical valve rockably supported Within the steam chest incontact With the curved VWall of the abutment ,andthe corresponding Wall of the steam chest, the'valve extending across the passage between the abutment and housing and provided with a semi-circular steam passage communicating' with the inlet of the steam chest, means for yadjusting the abutment and yieldingly holding it in adjusted position, and means for adjusting the valve.

2. A rotary engine comprising a stator, a rotor, an abutment arranged Within the stator, a shaft rockably supporting the abutment, a plate fiXedly secured to the shaft outwardly ofthe stator, a rib on the plate and arranged radially With respect to the shaft, a

i Y lever rockably supported on the outer end of the shaft and extending in opposite directions beyond the rib, means for holding the lever against accidental movement, and leaf sprngs'each vxedly secured at oneend to thelever at opposite sides o-f the rib and having the free ends thereof bearing against said sides of the rib.

In testimony whereof I aflx my signature.

' 1WILLIAM H. BENDRY. 

